The African hoopoe is widely distributed throughout southern Africa from Central Democratic Republic of Congo across to central Kenya and all the way south to the Cape of Good Hope. A list of countries where the African hoopoe is commonly seen is as follows: South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and the southern half of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unlike the Eurasian hoopoe that often migrates, the African hoopoe is usually resident but may make short-distance movements.
The species prefers open and bushy areas, including thornveld, a landscape with mostly thorny bush and trees, and riverine woodlands in dry areas. It inhabits broadleaf forests and savannah
African hoopoes eat mainly insects. These include Coleoptera, which are beetles, Dermaptera (earwigs) and Orthoptera, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. Besides these, small reptiles have been found to be fed to chicks as well as worms, slugs, and small snakes. Small seeds and berries may even be eaten. To find the insects, the African Hoopoe uses its long beak to penetrate the soil and then may whack the insect or prey onto the ground to break it up into smaller pieces. They prefer to do this in shorter grass. Unlike the rest of the year, African hoopoes maintain a specific territory throughout the breeding season in which they feed.
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